Finally peace!

Wherever your peace is found, enjoy Jesus being with you. 

Ephesians chapter 1 verses 9-12.

God has told us His secret reason for sending Christ, a plan He decided on in mercy long ago, and this was His purpose: that when the time is ripe He will gather us all together from wherever we are---in heaven or on earth---to be with Him in Christ, forever. Moreover, because of what Christ has done we have become gifts of God that He delights in, for as part of God's sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be His, and all things happen just as He decided long ago. God's purpose in this was that we should praise God and give glory to Him for doing these mighty things for us, who were the first to trust in Christ.

Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 says; "Look! I have been standing at the door and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with Me." Do you know who God is? Maybe you don't or maybe you are one of the fortunate who have heard the knock on the door and out of curiosity, opened it and found Jesus.

   It sounds silly to those who don't know Jesus, but that statement is true. Jesus is always knocking and waiting patiently for that one person who will answer it. He then says that He will come in and fellowship with that person, bringing them into the presence of God, where He is now.

   The other side to this story is that no one knows who that next person may be. In John chapter 3 Nicodemus a highly respected Jewish leader came for an interview with Jesus. His talk about being born again confused Nicodemus, so Jesus tried to explain it in simple terms. He said, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven." He continued to tell him that, "Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom He will next bestow this life from heaven." 

   God is all around us and every once in a while He may show Himself to you. It could be something astonishing or miraculous. Most people don't recognize His nudges, but if you happen to think that it was God, then you are hearing the knock and that is the time to answer. 

   Your first encounter with God may lead you to wanting to know more about Him. Maybe you ask someone who you think follows God or maybe you pick up a bible and read about the stories of God. You are the one who has made the choice. God just provided the idea and you decided to follow up with it. You hear such things about trusting in God to be your provider. You hear that God wants you to follow Him and walk on the same path that He does. 

   You are hesitant. You are reading and hearing stories of healing and stuff about salvation. It seems like a lot is being asked of you but it sure looks way better than the way you have been living. You try it out just to see for yourself if there is really any value in this. It's one thing to secretly learn about God in the beginning steps of your journey. It's another to struggle with the joy inside you and not let it out. 

   Those closest to you are noticing something different about you. Welcoming others has become easy and inviting. You are enjoying your new found energy. You want to help and get involved. It seems good until you are confronted or a mistake happens or your past confronts you with things you would rather forget. You feel uncomfortable and agitated, you don't want to revert back to your old self, you like the path ahead, so you pray. You are aware that God is almighty and all powerful, so you lean on Him. 

   Where is He? You may be blinded by the circumstances, and it seems like God is fading out of sight. Your troubles are building and in your sadness, your depression and your questioning heart, there is hope. You have felt it, you know it's real. Determined not to lose what you have experienced, you seek to understand. And there's Jesus. God has not left you, you were just distracted, teased with, manipulated and deceived. God is a totally different way to live. Nothing like you have experienced before. 

   It's simple, you either choose to live with Him or you choose not to. In Matthew chapter 10 verse 39 Jesus said, "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for Me, you will save it." 

   God put His love forward and Jesus wants everyone to know what He knows. Ask Jesus and find God's love. In Luke chapter 10 verses 21 and 22, Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise You, O Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the intellectuals and worldly wise and for revealing them to those who are as trusting as little children. Yes, thank you, Father for that is the way You wanted it, I am the agent of My Father in everything; and no one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."

   What a privilege it is to experience this. The most exciting thing is that God offers it to us freely through Jesus. When something happens that you have a hard time explaining, whether amazing or sad, maybe it's Jesus letting you know He is there. Try saying hello, and unload all that weighs you down on Him. Remember to say thank You to Him when you realize His touch upon your life. 

   Thank You Father for Jesus. Your promises are real. Way more than ever thought possible, You make life enjoyable. Praise the Lord! 😊             

Acts chapter 1 verse 8.

Jesus said; "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will testify about Me with great effect to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth, about My death and resurrection."

1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 11 and 12.

No one can really know what anyone else is thinking, or what he is really like, except that person himself. And no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And God has actually given us His Spirit (not the worlds spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us. 

Romans chapter 8 verses 28-30.

And we know that all that things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For from the beginning God knew who would come to Him and become like His Son, so that His Son would be the first with many brothers.